Rehearsal
by PrehistoricCat
Summary: Alternate version of the beginning of episode 3 x09. Abby decides to talk to Connor about THAT kiss.


**This fic is for the talented LuvConnor as a reward for completing a challenge I set her on Livejournal to make wallpapers for every single character that Andrew Lee Potts has played throughout his career to date. I believe I have managed to include all three of the prompts she gave me.**

**Enjoy, and don't forget to let all authors of stories you like know.**

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Abby stood at the door to the apartment building, wondering if she was doing the right thing. It had been two days since she'd last spoken to Connor, two days since she'd kissed him and changed everything.

It had all seemed to fall into place when Jack told her what Connor had done to get Rex back. There had always been something in her mind that told her Connor meant more to her than just a friend and that he saw her as more than a friend too, but it had taken this particular selfless act to make her realise that it was time she actually did something about it. After all of the months of pushing him away because she was afraid of getting close to someone, kissing Connor had felt like the most natural thing in the world. She felt liberated for the first time in her life.

But since then, there'd been nothing. She and Connor had gone their separate ways after the debrief and she'd spent the last two days trying to work out where she had gone wrong. Of course, she certainly didn't blame Connor for giving her the cold shoulder. He'd declared his love for her some time ago and she'd never followed up on it or demanded that he explained himself. They'd danced around each other ever since; moments of 'almost but not quite', being there for each other in difficult times but never crossing the line that she knew Connor desperately edged towards. Then, the final nail in the coffin, kicking him out of his home in favour of her waste of space brother. It was her fault that Connor probably didn't have a clue how he was supposed to respond to what she'd done, so it was down to her to start fixing things between them.

She had no idea which was Lester's apartment, but she had a cover story to get the concierge at the building to give her the right apartment number. She was carrying a box; special delivery for the gentleman who was staying as a guest of Mr James Lester, except the label had been damaged and she couldn't read it properly. It took a little flirting to persuade the concierge to check the books and find that Mr Lester's apartment was number 704 and then he offered to take the box up for her. Abby insisted that she had to deliver the box personally and she was shown to the lift she needed to take her to the correct floor.

Rex was restless, not used to being confined in a box. Abby found that attempting to soothe him with comforting words was helping to calm her nerves despite her chest hurting because her heart was pounding so hard against it. It felt like a long ride up to the seventh floor, yet when the doors opened it seemed to come too soon and Abby felt like a nervous school girl.

"Come on, Abby!" she told herself. "It's just Connor." But that was the point; it wasn't 'just' Connor, it was 'all' Connor, and the conversation she was about to have with him was make or break. Maybe it was already too late and that was why he hadn't contacted her; he was trying to work out how to say "Hey, Abby, I'm flattered but..."

Placing the box on the floor outside apartment 704, Abby pressed the buzzer and held her breath. She knew Lester wasn't home, she'd made sure that he was going home to his wife for the weekend as he usually did before she planned this, so when the door was answered she knew it would be Connor on the other side. She hoped to tell from his face if he was pleased to see her or not and whether there was a glimmer of a chance they could work out what they both wanted from their relationship going forward. There was no sound of footsteps the other side of the door and Abby feared Connor wasn't in. She'd spent so long making sure Lester would be out of the way she hadn't thought to check if Connor had plans for the weekend.

She pressed the buzzer again and pushed the fear to one side. Of course he didn't have plans. He never had plans unless they were with her; they went shopping together, they ate out together, they went to the pub together. It was no wonder that most people assumed they were already a couple.

Rex made a strange noise of protest and was hitting himself against the wall of the box. Abby sighed and knelt down to open the box. "Please, Rex," she pleaded. "I just need you to behave for a few more minutes and then I can let you loose to go and play with Sid and Nancy." Rex seemed to understand and stilled himself so that Abby could close the lid again. She looked up at the door. If Connor was in, he'd surely have answered by now, so perhaps he had gone out after all. She couldn't think who with since the only other people Connor had contact with these days were all ARC employees, and unless she'd missed something, there was no social evening planned; Becker was on night duty and Danny had mentioned something about visiting his parents.

She wasn't sure why, but something made her try the door handle. To her surprise, the door opened. She hesitated for a moment before picking up Rex's box and stepping inside. "Connor?" she called. He had to be home; Connor occasionally did some stupid things, but going out and leaving the front door unlocked was certainly not something he'd do, especially given that it was Lester's place and he'd fear being fired instantly if he put a foot wrong. She made her way down the hallway, glancing around to look for a sign of Connor. The apartment was pretty much as she'd imagined Lester's place to be. Immaculate, minimal decoration and completely lacking any personal touch that would make it a home. Connor couldn't possibly be happy here, could he?

She expected to find him in the lounge engrossed in a computer game and oblivious to the fact the door buzzer had been going off, but the only thing that greeted her was Sid and Nancy, running towards her with happy squeals and practically skidding to a halt at her feet. "Hey guys!" she smiled, crouching down to make a fuss of them, and then letting Rex out of the box to join them. The three creatures scuttled off together and Abby watched them with envy. At least there was no awkwardness about their reunion. She doubted that when she finally caught up with Connor it would be so easy.

The question was, where was he? It was far too early for him to have gone to bed. He was a creature of habit and he often stayed up into the small hours of the night working on some project or another. She thought she knew him inside out, but perhaps in the few weeks they'd been apart he'd made some changes.

She made her way through the living area, reading the dozens of yellow sticky notes left around with instructions – no, commands – for Connor. Was he even allowed to breathe? It really was a sorry situation she'd let Connor get into and the guilt she already felt was beginning to increase ten fold. No matter what the outcome of today's discussion was, she would make sure he didn't have to put up with this any longer. They'd find a way to make their living arrangements work.

The sound of Connor's voice filtered through a doorway in the second hallway, so Abby followed it. She recognised it instantly, but it sounded a little odd. As she got closer, she realised she could also hear the sound of splashing water and music in the background. Connor was in the bathroom and he'd left the door slightly ajar. She paused for a moment, thinking that perhaps she should put the kettle on, make a pot of tea and wait for him to come out, but she heard her name and she couldn't help but get closer so that she could hear him properly. She soon realised that the reason his voice sounded odd was because he was drunk, or at the very least a little tipsy. She smiled, and settled herself against the wall by the door to listen in on what he had to say.

-o-

It had been a weird couple of days. Connor had spent most of it shut away in Cutter's old lab, the only place he felt at home right now. He'd taken up residence there after the professor's death and no-one had the heart to remind him that, by rights, that space belonged to Danny Quinn now. Danny hadn't minded though. He said he had no need for a lab since he was not going to be involved in any of the research and he was happy to just have a place for his computer.

Connor wasn't sure whether he was actually avoiding Abby altogether, or just giving himself some time to work out what his next move was supposed to be. He wasn't the kind of guy that girls chased; he was more used to chasing them and never catching one, and until Abby had kissed him he'd pretty much resigned himself to being single for the rest of his life.

He'd sat and stared at his phone, willing it to ring. Surely if Abby really was interested in him, she'd call. She was confident and sure of herself, and generally if she wanted something she went for it. When he didn't even get a text message from her, he figured she'd realised what a stupid mistake she'd made. She was probably avoiding him, wondering how she could let him down gently without hurting his feelings too much.

"If she means that much to you, call her," Danny had said when he stuck his head around the door on his way home. Connor didn't know for certain how much Danny had seen but he'd grinned like a loon at Connor all the way back to the ARC and kept asking if he was OK. Connor was grateful Abby had taken Jack to be properly checked at the hospital since he suspected Danny would give them both a hard time and he couldn't bear the thought that Abby would pass it off as a joke that meant nothing.

Danny was right though. He should call her. That was why she hadn't called him; she'd made the first move and was waiting for him to make the next. "That's easy for you to say," Connor sighed, placing the phone on the desk. "I bet you never had to worry about whether you should be the one to make the call or not."

"It's not about whose turn it is, Connor," Danny said softly. "Ask her out for dinner or something – not a movie though, you can't talk if you go to a movie. Meet somewhere neutral where neither of you feel under pressure." He looked at Connor, waiting for him to leap up and grab the opportunity to finally sort out his relationship with Abby. Connor just sat there, staring at the display on the phone. "Dinner, bottle of wine, candles, maybe arrange for a waiter to bring a red rose over – girls like that sort of thing."

Connor wasn't so sure. Maybe girls did like candlelit dinners and wine and roses, but he would never get further than his front door if he couldn't even muster up the courage to dial her number and say hi. Danny gave up and gave Connor a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before he left him alone again to wallow in his own misery.

On the second day, Sarah had brought him a coffee and said she was worried about him as he'd been shut away for hours. He smiled gratefully then a thought struck him. Sarah was a woman and who better to ask for help on how to handle a woman than another woman.

"Do you mind if I ask you a personal question?" he said sheepishly.

"Well that depends, Connor," Sarah smiled and sat down on the spare chair next to Connor. "What do you want to know?"

"If you liked a guy, and you knew that he liked you..." Connor let out a sigh. That wasn't what he wanted to ask at all. He shook his head as if to shake that thought away and tried again. "If you kissed a guy, would you expect him to make the next move?"

"You and Abby?" Sarah's eyes lit up. "She kissed you?" Connor nodded miserably. "But that's fantastic isn't it? It's obvious you like her and now she's showing you that she feels the same, right?"

"Maybe," Connor sighed.

"Why else would she kiss you?" Connor wrinkled his nose and looked pleadingly at Sarah; he wanted her help, not questions he didn't know the answers to. "OK, I can't really speak for Abby, but if I'd kissed someone, then it would probably be because I like him and I wanted him to know that I like him."

This made Connor smile; it sounded a little more positive the way Sarah said it. "And the next move?"

"Talk to her, Connor."

His heart sank. "I was afraid you'd say that. That was what Danny said too."

"It's only Abby. You talk to her all the time."

"Yeah, we talk about work and about whose turn it is to pay for the pizza. We don't talk about important stuff." That was the whole problem with their relationship; they didn't discuss anything beyond the ordinary stuff that flat mates, work colleagues and friends would talk about. Feelings, especially the way they felt about each other, were a no go area until now. They were doomed since Connor knew the moment he tried to open his mouth to say something that mattered he'd get tongue tied and end up saying something completely different.

"You just need to relax," Sarah said. "Have a beer, do something to help you chill out a little and focus. Maybe even rehearse exactly what you want to say to her. Prepare yourself a little script or something."

So that was how Connor had found himself in the bathroom on a Friday evening. He'd taken Sarah's advice and had a couple of bottles of beer and was starting his third as he began to run himself a bubble bath. With Lester out of the way for the weekend, he knew he wouldn't be disturbed and could take as long as he needed. He'd even lit a few candles and had plugged his iPod into some speakers so that he could play his favourite music. Abby had once said that was how she liked to unwind after a long week and he hoped it would help him too.

He peeled off his clothes, breathing in the scent of the bubble bath as the room began to fill with steam. It reminded him of Sunday evenings at home when he was a small boy; a bath before bed so he'd be ready to face a new week at school. When he stepped into the slightly too hot water and settled himself down, he realised just how much he missed simple pleasures like this. Since he'd moved out of home and went off to University, he'd simply have a rushed shower in the morning before grabbing some toast and coffee and dashing off.

It was possibly the fresh scent of lemons from the bubble bath, or the soft candlelight dancing on the walls. Maybe it was the beer going to his head or the heat of the water. Whatever it was, Connor felt a smile spreading across his face as his body and mind began to relax at last and he felt more energised than he had in a long time. He found himself singing along to the music and playing an imaginary drum kit. The worries and stresses of the last few months seemed to ebb away, at least temporarily anyway, and Connor decided he'd like to remain this way for a long time. However, he pulled himself back to reality. The reason he was here was so that he could rehearse what he was going to say to Abby.

Clearing his throat, Connor sat upright and began. "Abby, we need to talk." He smiled. That was a good start he supposed. Straight to the point and no goldfish impressions. Trouble was, the first line wasn't the hard part of this conversation.

"When you kissed me," he continued, addressing an imaginary Abby sitting at the far end of the bath. "It was nice." He frowned. Nice? That wasn't right. Nice is a word you use when you're being polite about something you're not keen on and don't want to offend. He wrinkled his nose as he tried to think of a better word and took another mouthful of his beer. "Horny." He snorted and almost choked. Well, it was the truth, but he could hardly tell Abby that was how he felt. She'd probably run a mile and never come back.

"See, the thing is, Abby," he said out loud, "I've always had a bit of a thing for you, ever since that day in the Forest of Dean. I don't think you took me seriously then, and I don't blame you. I did act like a bit of an arse at times and the way I dressed... Next to Stephen Hart, I suppose I was hardly someone that anyone would give a second glance to, let alone someone as gorgeous as you."

He took a long, slow mouthful of beer as he thought, and then carried on. "And you know what? I think Stephen was the whole reason I never actually plucked up the courage to make a proper move on you. I could never measure up to him, so why set myself up for failure and disappointment? I did try once, when I thought I was going to lose you over that cliff... but then that fear of not measuring up to what you want in a man kicked back in after I overheard you tell Lucien that I wasn't your boyfriend."

"When you kissed me, my head was split into two. On one side, it was like Bonfire night, Christmas, Easter and m'birthday all rolled into one brilliant package, but on the other I was confused. Abby Maitland likes men that are good looking and strong and confident; all the things I'm not, so why would she be kissing me?"

"Because, Connor Temple, I happen to have a thing for men that are willing to put themselves on the line for someone they care about." Abby stood in the doorway, having pushed the door open. Connor's mouth opened and closed like a goldfish and then his hands swiftly moved to cup his manhood from view, even though he knew the mass of bubbles would keep him hidden anyway.

"How long have you been there?"

"Long enough."

"What are you even doing here? How did you..."

"I came to talk to you about the other day. I was pressing the buzzer for ages, but you were clearly too engrossed in your bath and your beer to hear it. You really should make sure the door's locked if you don't want to be disturbed." Amused, Abby folded her arms and smiled.

"It was the music. That's why I didn't hear you." There was an awkward pause and Connor swallowed nervously. "Just how much of what I said did you hear?"

"Nice. Horny. Not sure I remember much after that, other than Bonfire night, Christmas and Easter all in one go."

"And m'birthday," Connor grinned, feeling his cheeks beginning to burn. Abby sat herself on the edge of the bath tub and her expression changed from the amused smile to one more serious.

"I was worried that I'd left it too late to show you how I felt, especially when you didn't respond."

"Sorry," Connor muttered. "I'm just not very experienced at this sort of thing. I'm not like..."

Abby pressed her finger to his lips and gave him a stern look. "Don't you dare say Stephen Hart. You're Connor Temple. A sweet, kind, loyal, wonderful man who lights up a room when he smiles. You're funny and intelligent, and if anyone is going to work out how to stop the anomalies it'll be you. I have no doubts about that at all. But most of all, Connor..." She leaned forward, moving her hand from his lips to cup his cheek and then pressed her lips against his where her finger had been.

Connor sighed, his head spinning. The room was warm, he'd had one too many beers and now Abby was kissing him. It felt good, and this time now that he'd had a few days to think about what he should have done, he began to return the kiss.

Abby sighed too, tasting Connor as she teased open his mouth with the tip of her tongue to deepen the kiss. She knew she should have done this months ago; so much time wasted on worrying and pushing him away when they could have been together as a couple. Pulling away and smiling, she decided that they should start to make up for that lost time.

"I ...erm... got your t-shirt a bit wet," Connor said, the dimple in his cheek deepening as his embarrassed smile widened.

Abby glanced down. "Not much. You should probably get dried off and put on some clothes, eh. I'll order us in some pizza and put on a pot of coffee so you can sober up a little."

"Lester's got a dryer. You could put your t-shirt in there if you like."

"Don't push your luck, Connor. I may have seen you naked, sort of, but you don't get to see me naked just yet." She stood by the open door and turned to leave. "Happy Bonfire night, Connor. Merry Christmas and happy Easter too." The door was closed behind her, leaving a grinning Connor staring at the empty space.

"You forgot Happy Birthday," he said quietly, reaching for the towel he'd left ready at the side of the bath. It was better than that. Abby had said "yet" which meant that it was very possible that in the near future what had just happened was going to go way past just kissing.

He liked the sound of possible.


End file.
